The EASYCare range is a year old!

here is a reminder of the products in the range and what they do

The EASYCare range launch at Glee 2014 (September)

Algae Remover - The EASY solution to remove Algae, Mould and light infestations of Lichen.
Black Spot Remover - Designed to remove stubborn areas of Lichen and Algae from paving & driveways.
Efflorescence Destroyer - Removes and neutralises white salt stains (efflorescence).
Grease & Oil Away - Solution to remove unsightly oil and grease stains from drives, patios and decking.
Grime Buster - A versatile general purpose cleaner ideal for cleaning smooth surfaces.
Mortar Stain Remover - A fast acting powerful ECOLOGICAL cleaner to remove mortar stains
Patio & Deck Cleaner - Removes heavy build-up of the most stubborn dirt and grime from paving
Masonry Revive - Cleans all Porous Stone & Concrete

Sealer Remover - The EASY way to remove old sealers and protectors from paving and driveways.

For more information on all our products visit: azpects.co.uk/

EASYSeal Ultimate Staining Performance Test

EASYSeal Ultimate, the clue is in the name. This is our best water based sealer for natural stone and concrete paving, see it in action now!

Here are the results from recent stain tests.
Tests carried out on Sandstone (section of the paving shown below)

Stage 1	Stage 2
Stage 3	Stage 4

Stage 1: The right hand side of the stone was treated with two coats of EASYSeal Ultimate and left to dry.
Stage 2: After a couple of weeks a variety of food solids and liquids were added and a photo taken minutes after they were applied.
Stage 3: About an hour later the food solids and liquids were mopped up with absorbent kitchen roll paper. You will notice that many of the substances have been absorbed into the stone on the untreated side.
Stage 4: The stone was then washed with ordinary washing up detergent and warm water. Both sides were
gently agitated with a nail brush and rinsed. The photo shows the stone dry. The treated surface is almost
completely clean whilst the untreated surface has been noticeably stained.

EASYSeal Ultimate currently comes in a 1 litre bottle of concentrate which can make up to 8 litres covering upto 48 metres squared of paving.

For more information on EASYSeal Ultimate 
visit: http://azpects.co.uk/products/easyseal-ultimate-sealant.aspx 
and for our full list of products visit: http://azpects.co.uk/products/

Why should I seal my paving?

If it's a sensitive stone then sealing is a must but that's not the only reason to do it

If you've just spent a lot of money on a new patio you'll want it to keep looking it's best for years.

Our range of EASYSeal protectors are specially designed to keep your patio doing exactly that, helping to protect your paving investment.

If you look below I think you'll agree, the results speak for themselves!

To find out more about our EASYSeal range visit:
http://www.azpects.co.uk/sealers-and-protectors.aspx

For our full product ranges visit our website: http://www.azpects.co.uk/ 

EASYSeal Colour Enhancer results on Sandstone

EASYSeal Slate & Limestone results on Slate

EASYSeal BCS results on a block

May Showers

Did you know there has been double the average rainfall for May in 2015? 

Of course that's no problem for EASYJoint, in fact the wetter the better. We positively encourage our wet application method; in our new videos coming soon! Our new videos will show how much we recommend saturate the paving.

A sneak peak from one of our new videos

There are two reasons for this,

• The water aids the flow of the compound into the joints, making it more workable, speeding up the process and aiding the self compaction by flushing the compound right to the bottom.

• The water acts as a barrier from the natural oils and hardeners within the EASYJoint, minimising oil residue on the paving surface.

EASYJoint top tip
Did you know, if you have left over compound, you can place it back into the tub, cover it with water, reseal the tub and use it for a later job?

Here's our link to applying EASYJoint using the recommended wet application method
http://easyjoint.eu/using-easyjoint-application-method.aspx

For more information on EASYJoint visit our comprehensive instructional website: http://easyjoint.eu/
For all our products including EASYJoint, visit: http://azpects.co.uk/

To seal... or not to seal?

Appying EASYSeal with a roller

Now as many of you are aware, there are many paving sealers on the market and they all do the same basic function- Seal and protect. 

Go into any Builders Merchants or DIY store and you will be offered a selection of different brands so choosing the right one for you can be a bit hit & miss. It’s unlikely that you will know how good your choice is for months as any sealer is good when first applied.

One thing you can usually rely on is the old saying- “You get what you pay for” If you buy a cheap sealer its unlikely to have the same degree of protection as the higher priced brands.
I have to admit that once upon a time I wasn’t a fan of sealers as the information I had at the time didn’t give me much confidence. I was selling plenty of Natural Stone paving and I would never recommend sealing as I didn’t want any comebacks later in life. People saying that it’s all gone wrong and it’s my fault!

What can go wrong? Well try applying a solvent based sealer when the paving is not totally dry or trying to brush or roll on a hot, summer’s day and you will get it ‘wrong’.

I recently had a play with some samples of our new EASYSeal ULTIMATE and EASYSeal COLOUR ENHANCER and I learnt a few things.  Good sealers work! Take EASYSeal ULTIMATE for example. I applied one coat and as directed, I then applied the second coat but alas I had not expected that the first coat would dry so fast and as a result the second coat just ‘sat’ on the top of the stone; after some time the liquid disappeared leaving a horrible Leopard skin effect. The solution to that problem was to apply only one coat system and make it a good one. The next piece of stone I treated had very impressive repelling results, the water just beaded and wobbled about on the surface.

Do I need to seal?  The answer is yes and no (a popular phrase used a lot by our  IT guys).  It’s purely a matter of choice and if you feel better for doing it then great. I would use an invisible sealer if I thought it might help reduce the number of times I needed to clean my patio and I would use an enhancer sealer if the paving looks better when wet/damp.

As mentioned in an earlier blog, sealers will not protect against all things. Animal waste will eat through most coatings and cleaners and bleaches usually have a good go to.

Ask yourself why you want to seal. Do you need to? Will it help? Will it matter if I only do it once?

If it makes you feel better, then do it- but do your homework before you do.  I would always suggest leaving new paving for one season before thinking about sealing as this gives time for efflorescence etc. to calm down. It will also give you a better idea as to what sort of things you may have to seal against.

For more information on our sealers & protectors, visit: http://azpects.co.uk/products.aspx

Written by Jeff Carter; employee Of Azpects Ltd (plus ex Landscape Gardener and Paving Centre Manager) 

Choosing your paving and pointing products

... with a bit of know-how and careful planning the hardest part is likely to be choosing what paving you want.

Having spent 7 years as the Manager of a large paving display and landscaping centre I know all too well that deciding what you want is the hardest job of all!

You may come in with an idea in mind then you see the variety of Natural and man-made paving that’s available and ‘POW!’ you are stumped.

I always used the 3-visit rule. The first visit is just mind boggling, the second visit is one of definite separation of likes and dislikes and the third visit is the day you choose and order.

Taking the time to choose the right paving certainly has its benefits long term and choosing the right pointing product is the next decision to make.

If you are laying the patio yourself the last thing you want is to spoil the whole look by getting cement stains on the paving by using traditional mortar joints badly.

There are various methods used by professional Landscapers to apply traditional mortar joints and as they are professionals with years of experience they make it look easy.

If you are a DIYer or a seasoned professional you could do a lot worse than using the new types of compounds that are widely available such as Azpects EASYJoint.

The benefits of using EASYJoint over traditional methods of using mortar are loosely speed and durability. Using EASYJoint is at least 10 times faster than using traditional mortar.

Traditional mortar will also crack in time and allow weed growth and frost damage to occur whereas EASYJoint is a flexible compound which can resist freezing conditions and so far tests show that joints pointed with compounds such as EASYJoint can last more than 15 years.

Did you know that using a sweep in compound is virtually fool proof? -  In fact, if all the preparations are correct and specifications met you will end up with a lovely job, with just the possibility of a slight sheen left on the surface, which should weather off over time.

Written by Jeff Carter; employee Of Azpects Ltd (plus ex Landscape Gardener and Paving Centre Manager) 

Click here for Part 2

For more information on our range of products go to: azpects.co.uk

Thought we just did EASYJoint? Think again!

Thought we just did EASYJoint?  Think again!

We now offer a range of products to make your life that little easier!   

EASYCare is a range of high grade cleaners and treatments that pack a powerful punch to treat common yet difficult problems; Algae Remover, Efflorescence Destroyer, Grime Buster, Mortar Stain Remover and Patio & Deck Cleaner all come in 1 litre concentrate bottles, Grease & Oil Away comes in a 1 litre non-concentrate bottle and Lacquer Remover and Black Spot Remover in 5 litre bottles.

You can also follow EASYCare's very own blog here: http://azpectsltd.blogspot.co.uk/ 

EASYSeal is a technically advanced range of Eco friendly sealants and protectors.SSP, BCS, Contract, Ultimate and Colour Enhancer. These are 100% water based and containing no toxic substances.

Plus don’t forget the ORIGINAL All Weather Paving Joint Compound EASYJoint; continuous developments and improvements still make it the best all year round jointing solution for natural stone & concrete paving.

EASYJoint is available in 12kg tubs - 5 great colours Mushroom, Buff Sand, Stone Grey, Basalt and Black.

All products are manufactured to a professional grade to do the job with the least effort but with an emphasis on being user friendly and safe to use by professional and DIY users alike.
For more information go to www.azpects.co.uk 
or our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/AzpectsLtd

Azpects EASYJoint

Azpects EASYJoint 

Rain or Shine it goes in fine! 

EASYJoint is a well-proven premium product that’s been refined over many years to make it the brilliant ‘all weather paving jointing compound’ that it is today. 

So what are the benefits of EASYJoint:

• Available in a great colour range: Mushroom, Buff, Stone Grey, Basalt and Jet Black
• Aesthetically pleasing finish
• Available to buy in either 12.5kg tubs or a NEW 7kg ‘grab and go’ handy pack
• Easy and fast to use for both DIY and Professional use
• Uses a brush & wash-in system
• No kneeling required to apply – so kinder to your back and knees
• Can be used in gaps from 3mm wide and 25mm deep
• Can be used in all weathers and cures to create a very strong joint
• Good adhesion to all surfaces
• Water permeable for good drainage
• Good compressive and flexural properties
• Can take vehicle loads of up to 3 tonnes so is great for Driveways as well as Patio and Paving areas
• No waste as any unused product can be saved for future use
• An environmentally friendly product; cement and resin-free
• Made in the UK

For more information on EJ and our full range of easy-to-use products including paving sealants go to our main website: www.azpects.co.uk